Jimmy DeBell
{{short description|American football official}}
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| name = Jimmy DeBell
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| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1962}}
| birth_place = Rochester, New York, U.S.
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James DeBell is a former American football official who was in the National Football League (NFL) and the Alliance of American Football (AAF).
Career
DeBell started his career officiating high school football in upstate New York and then eventually moved on to college football. He officiated in the Conference USA and the Big East before joining the NFL. He also refereed in Ivy League and Atlantic 10 as well as the Arena Football League and NFL Europe. He officiated the Emerald Bowl in December 2004.
DeBell made his debut in the NFL as a side judge on the crew of Alberto Riveron in 2009. His first NFL game that he officiated was in Tampa Bay, Florida, where the Dallas Cowboys played against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He officiated 17 games his first NFL football season.{{cite web|last=Head|first=Justin|title=Dansville's Coach DeBell reflects in the NFL on wearing stripes: Rookie season lives up to expectations|url=http://www.eveningtribune.com/news/x43867279/Dansville-s-coach-DeBell-reflects-on-wearing-stripes-in-the-NFL?photo=0|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130122154234/http://www.eveningtribune.com/news/x43867279/Dansville-s-coach-DeBell-reflects-on-wearing-stripes-in-the-NFL?photo=0|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 January 2013|work=The Evening Tribune Journalist|publisher=Hornell Evening Tribune|accessdate=31 October 2011}}
His first NFL playoff appearance was in the 2010–11 NFC Divisional round between the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks.{{Cite web |title=Jimmy DeBell NFL Official Statistics |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/officials/DeBeJi0r.htm |access-date=2024-02-17 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} In 2011, he was awarded the Outstanding Football Official Award (Rochester) by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame (NFF).{{cite web|title=Another Amazing Award Season Concludes for NFF Chapter Network|url=http://www.footballfoundation.org/nff/story/3153/another-amazing-award-season-concludes-nff-chapter-network|work=The National Football Foundation|publisher=The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Inc|access-date=2011-10-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419221835/http://www.footballfoundation.org/nff/story/3153/another-amazing-award-season-concludes-nff-chapter-network|archive-date=2012-04-19|url-status=dead}}
For 2014, DeBell was on the officiating crew headed by referee Bill Vinovich.
On May 29, 2015, it was announced that DeBell would not return to the field for the 2015 NFL season.http://www.thelcn.com/news/dansville-s-debell-out-for-nfl-season/article_b83ea764-05c5-11e5-8ee6-d384843d086b.html {{Dead link|date=March 2019}}
During the 2019 AAF season, DeBell is a back judge on the officiating crew led by referee Reggie Smith.{{cite web |url=http://www.footballzebras.com/2019/02/officiating-crews-for-the-2019-aaf-season/ |title=Officiating crews for the 2019 AAF season |first=Ben |last=Austro |website=footballzebras.com |date=February 7, 2019 |accessdate=March 16, 2019}}
Personal life
Outside of the football, DeBell is retired. He graduated from Arcadia High School in Greece, New York, in 1980 and was involved in all sports including football, baseball, and basketball.{{cite web|title=Dansville coach working the sidelines in the NFL: Jim Debell Making the Calls|url=http://www.eveningtribune.com/sports/x1789528854/Dansville-coach-working-the-sidelines-in-the-NFL|work=The Evening Tribune Journalist|publisher=Hornell Evening Tribune|accessdate=31 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120907025932/http://www.eveningtribune.com/sports/x1789528854/Dansville-coach-working-the-sidelines-in-the-NFL|archive-date=7 September 2012|url-status=dead}} At approximately {{convert|6|ft|1|in|m}} and {{convert|200|lb|kg}}, he has the physique of an athlete.{{cite web|title=Dansville coach working the sidelines in the NFL: Jim Debell Making the Calls|url=http://www.eveningtribune.com/sports/x1789528854/Dansville-coach-working-the-sidelines-in-the-NFL|work=The Evening Tribune Journalist|publisher=Hornell Evening Tribune|accessdate=31 October 2011|author=Justin Head|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120907025932/http://www.eveningtribune.com/sports/x1789528854/Dansville-coach-working-the-sidelines-in-the-NFL|archive-date=7 September 2012|url-status=dead}}
DeBell currently resides in Conesus, New York, with his wife, Luane, and their children, Nikole and Tyger. He is the son of James DeBell, who was well known throughout NYS athletics, and Joyce Debell. He has two sisters, Debbie and Sandy, and a brother, Joe.